| The Growers Guide to Cannabis |
| LED grow lights have exploded in the last few years with more advanced versions seeming to appear monthly. But amongst marijuana growers there is heated debate on the subject, with traditionalists yet to be converted to the new technology |
For patients who need medical marijuana, the progress of LED grow lights has been closely watched. The lights, which promise greater energy efficiency and lower heat than their high pressure sodium and metal halide cousins, have gained increasing visibility in the cannabis community.
LEDs (short for light emitting diodes) were first invented in 1927. More efficient than nearly any other type of artificial light, these diodes were too weak to be a contender for growing plants until recently.
But continuing research has resulted in LED lights that are more powerful than ever before. Within the last few years, many LED grow light systems have sprung up on the market for indoor gardeners.
Some claim the LED grow light technology may finally put the cultivation of a few marijuana plants within reach of anybody who has a few extra bucks and a spare closet.
On paper, LED grow lights seem to outperform HPS grow lights (the current standard for growing marijuana) in almost every way.
| growweedeasy/Twitter |
| Nebula Haze: “Our goal is to share the straight facts about LED grow lights” |
For one, LEDs use significantly less electricity than HPS bulbs, plus they only give off a fraction of the heat.
“HPS grow lights are often at the heart of many growing problems, especially when marijuana plants are grown in a small closet or cupboard,” said Nebula Haze, grower and cofounder of GrowWeedEasy.com. “The heat given off by an HPS grow light quickly builds up and can seriously hurt and even kill a marijuana plant if the hot air is not vented out through an exhaust system.”
The fact that HPS lights produce excessive heat is one of the major reasons why there’s so much interest in LED grow lights.
In contrast with HPS lights, LED lights do not require the installation of expensive ducting or a ventilation system to control the heat.
In fact, according to the manufacturers’ specifications, most LED lights can be plugged into a standard electrical outlet and turned on immediately in any small space, with no worries about uncontrollable temperature changes.
So LEDs use less electricity and produce less heat than regular grow lights; why is there a controversy?
“The question for any real-life pot farmer is this,” Nebula answered. “Do LED grow lights really work for growing marijuana? Marijuana plants require a very specific type of light to grow. Can you still produce the prized THC-laded cannabis flowers using only one of these LED light systems?”
To solve this puzzle, Nebula Haze joined forces with fellow grower endive, from GrowMedical420.com. The two of them recently released a review and case study of their attempts at growing marijuana with LED grow lights.
“Our goal is to share the straight facts about LED grow lights,” Nebula said. “We know how important it is for patients (who have a doctor’s rec) to successfully grow medical marijuana and treat their debilitating disorders.
“No one wants to lose a crop of medicine because you bought the wrong lights,” Nebula said. “This kind of information just isn’t out there for medical marijuana patients, which spurred me and endive to put together this marijuana LED review for other growers.”
You can read the full LED Grow Lights review here: